Produced by SEIWA GAKUIN JUNIOR &SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL × GEIC ×The Japan Times

SEIWA GAKUIN TIMESJULY 2016

Special Edition

Seiwa strives to give world ‘something new’

YUKA MATSUMOTO PHOTO

Seiwa Gakuin students do research by themselves. They come up with ideas, and discuss approaches and solutions with classmates when someone has
a problem. Furthermore, students give presentations to each other in order to share information and develop opinions of their own.

Inspired by the abundant
greenery, shimmering ocean
and the warm sun of its beautiful natural Shonan Zushi beachsetting in Kanagawa Prefecture,
Seiwa Gakuin Junior and SeniorHigh School is constantly
searching for “something new”
to give to the world.
The school believes thatlearning is not something we receive from someone, but issomething we develop ourselves
and by working with others,
through identifying problems
and their solutions, asking questions and doing research. This is
why there is always “somethingnew” at Seiwa Gakuin.

English Dept. leads way
At Seiwa Gakuin, we have an
English department for thosestudents who want to use English in the future. It is the onlyone in Kanagawa Prefecture.
The department’s goal is to improve students’ all-round English ability, broaden their inter-national horizons and cultivate
their communication skills.
The students implement all
the elements in the curriculum.
They also give presentations
and have discussions whilelearning about the world situation, environmental issues andinternational problems.
By Yuka Matsumoto and Wakana Takeda

Zushi has so much to offer: City Mayor Ryuichi Hirai
Members of Seiwa Gakuin’sESS (English Speaking Society)club went to the city office ofZushi on June 24, 2016, to inter view Zushi Cit y Mayor
Ryuichi Hirai. His remarks during the interview follow:

Symbol of Zushi City

KAAI NONAMI PHOTO

Question: We love Zushi.
What do you like about the city?
What are its features?
Answer: First of all, it is thenature. In Zushi, there’s the sea,
mountains and rivers. Researchof the natural environment has
found that there are so many
valuable plants and animals in
the Ikego Forest Natural Park.
Interactions between volunteers
and citizens are quite active, andcommunication with the U.S.
armed forces personnel will bevery useful for everyone’s English skills.
Q: What would you like tosend out from Zushi City to theworld?
A: We love to introduce theattractiveness of Zushi’s nature.
There’s also the “fair trade”
movement. (“Fair trade” is an
event to sell crops and productsthat are made in developing
countries. Seiwa Gakuin students have been participating in
the event as volunteers. They
like to contribute to the peace of
the world while making thecommunity “people friendly
and Earth friendly.”)

Q: What are your expectations of the younger generations?
A: It’s never “too early” tohave big dreams and to work
very hard to make the dreams
come true. The sooner you set
your future goal, the better, andthen please waste no effort going for it.
By Yuka Matsumoto, Wakana Takeda,
Erena Arai and Haruna Sasaki

NOTICE TO READERSSEIWA GAKUIN TIMES was Createdby the ESS club memers of Seiwa Gakuin
Junior and Senior High School, a private
girls’ high school in Zushi City, Kanagawa
Prefecture

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SEIWA GAKUIN TIMES | JULY 2016

ENGLISH EDUCATIONSeiwa longtime pioneerof ‘living English’ education

International studiesOn April 1, 1987, Seiwa

Gakuin opened the only English
Department in Kanagawa Prefecture. The three-year course
involved 39 units of special education and a homestay in New
Zealand, which was mandatory
as a part of the international
studies component.
The language training in New
Zealand was a great opportunity
for students to improve theirEnglish skills and become familiar with another culture
through homestay. It helped students broaden their international
horizons, and helped them consider English as a communication tool, without having to think
too much about grammar.
Staying with host families
was certainly a valuable spiritual exchange experience. In July
1988, English language training

SEIWA GAKUIN PHOTO

In 1972, Ko Muto, the latefounder of Seiwa Gakuin, participated in the 21st annual meeting of the World Confederationof Organizations of the Teaching Profession (WCOTP) inLondon. At the conference, she
discussed education with Margaret Thatcher, then a British
education minister, and their
meeting developed into a lifelong relationship.
In 1979 when the annual summit of major industrializedcountries was held in Tokyo,
Muto again met Thatcher, who
had become prime minister ofBritain. At the time, their reunion was reported in theMainichi Daily News.

SEIWA GAKUIN PHOTO

SEIWA GAKUIN PHOTO

School founder Ko Muto attends the 21st meeting of the World Confederation of Organizations of the Teaching Profession (WCOTP) in London in1972.

Thatcher agreed with Muto’s
statement : Education is the foundation that will support our country for 100 years and I have been
devoting myself to education”,
and their relationship got evenstronger.
(Mainich Daily News 1979.6.30)

Margaret Thatcher and Ko Mutoat Southern Illinois University
in Niigata for seventh, eighthand tenth graders started, andthe participating students deepened their cross-cultural understanding while working on presentations with native Englishspeakers.

the first-graders of the seniorhigh school go to a six-day English camp in Shonan international village in Hayama to brush up
their communication skills in
the language. In general, there
are about four English classes aweek, but at the school, there are
more than eight English classes
a week. Students learn proper
pronunciation from native English teachers. The school also
implements IT education thatwill be essential in the global
society, constantly improves theEnglish education environment
with native English teachers andtextbooks, and practices spontaneous and active learning withstudent speeches and presentations.

English Dept. now
Seiwa Gakuin was a pioneer
at introducing opportunities tolearn “living English.”
New first-graders of the juniorhigh school, for instance, takeadvance study classes in English
before the entrance ceremony.
Through cooking sweets, having
a picnic and orientations, students come to like English more,
make friends and start theirschool life.
During the summer vacation,

By Yumi Ofuji, Danielle Zamora,
Kaai Nonami and Rena Fujikawa

SEIWA GAKUIN PHOTO

An English camp at Shonan International Village in Hayama

SEIWA GAKUIN PHOTO

SEIWA GAKUIN PHOTO

Encounters with host families inNew Zealand are something thatstudents will always treasure, andstaying with the families is avaluable opportunity to learn“living English” – spiritual humancommunication that transcends
nationalities or ethnicities.

An English study camp at Southern Illinois University in Niigata
leaves teachers, and seventh,eighth and tenth graders of thejunior and senior high schoolwith many happy memories.
SEIWA GAKUIN PHOTO

Seiwa held New Zealand English camp first in Kanagawa Prefecture.

SEIWA GAKUIN TIMES | JULY 2016

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EDUCATION POLICY
to bow in order to polish thesense of being refined.

Using language

SEIWA GAKUIN PHOTO

A former international flight attendant teaches a student how to bow
politely during a class on manners and etiquette.

Courses teach students
to build good relationships

Since Seiwa Gakuin was established in the 1950s, there
have been manner classes in the“Manner Room.” Students
learned how to maintain goodposture, behavior and how to use
language, and the tradition has
been passed on to the present.
Now, Seiwa Gakuin promotes
the importance of learning etiquette with manner courses
three times a year to build good
human relationships.
The school believes that it will
help students master communication skills, and make a freshand positive impression on others. There is also practical training to learn essential businessmanners by instructors with experience as international flightattendants.

Relationships startwith greetings

A greeting is a way to get a
lively conversation going withsomeone you meet for the firsttime, to share significant time
together and to make human relationships meaningful.
On the course, students practice role playing in situations
such as passing by one another,and entering and exiting interviews.

Creating good
impression

Students learn how to dress
elegantly, but modestly, and tomaintain good postures and how

Volleyball club championship win
still inspirational 40 years on
In 1976, the Volleyball teamof Seiwa Gakuin won the championship at the girls’ national
volleyball high school tournament. How did they manage tocome out on top of some 2,300
schools and grab the title?

Their championship victory
was the result of a lot of practice,supportive families and enthusiastic teachers.
This feat has taught us the importance of working hard andexpressing gratitude to thosearound us.

By Haruka Maruyama, Ayaka Miura,
Erena Arai and Haruna Sasaki

Love, peace andSeiwa

Seiwa Gakuin values the importance of spiritual education.
Why did Ko Muto, founder ofthe school, try to include thespirit of Christianity in her education? Probably, she found her
ideal of education in a faith that
focuses on “love and peace.”
Since the establishment of theschool, Seiwa Gakuin students
have been traditionally taught“to serve their soul, knowledge
and work to love God, as well as
to love themselves and others.”

Bible study, church
service

At Seiwa Gakuin, there is achurch service every Friday
morning in the chapel, where

Spiritual education
Seiwa Gakuin’s Christian education is a warmhearted spiritual education based on “lovingothers and cherishing one’s life.”
UNESCO works to advancepeace and the welfare of people
through communication as it
uses education, science, culture
and communication to promoteinternational understanding andcooperation.
The UNESCO Constitution
says: “That since wars begin in
the minds of men, it is in theminds of men that the defensesof peace must be constructed.”
Seiwa Gakuin students hope apeaceful world can be realized
through spiritual education.

UNESCO flag
By Niko Takehara and Sara Minomo

Love-spreading logos

SEIWA GAKUIN PHOTO

When the school was created, students wore navy jackets,navy skirts and white shirts astheir daily uniform, unlike thecurrent sailor blouses. Themodest and lovely uniforms
were designed according tothe school’s motto, “Gentleness, Diligence and Love.”
T h e d e sig n of S eiwa
Gakuin’s logo, which is basedon this motto, expresses “students that grow to the future,”and “students and the schoolthat walk together while trusting each other based on thetheme of ‘Love.’”
The spirit is expressed by

the logo’s soft-curving lines
and powerful straight lines.
The letter “L” in the logo is for“LOVE.”KAAI NONAMI PHOTO

By Konomi Fujigaya

Students practice how to express compassion to others andaim to become women who understand how to use language
beautifully.
Many graduates have said
that the manners and greetings
they learned at Seiwa Gakuin
have been helpful to them asadults in society when they
communicate with people indifferent age groups.

students sing hymns accompanied by the organ, and listen to
the priest’s Bible reading andprayers. Studying the Bible helps
maintain a peaceful spirit andenables people to look at themselves.
A weekly Bible study class is
mandatory for all students.

Seiwa Gakuin’s logo
By Kaai Nonami

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SEIWA GAKUIN TIMES | JULY 2016

SCHOOL FESTIVAL/ZUSHI CITY

Seiwa-Sai festival showcases students, school
preparation committee for thesailing competitions at the Tokyo Olympics 2020. He is very
active in IT and sports.
The lecture helped students
link the dreams they have today
to the future. Many people visited the school during the festival, and enjoyed two days of fun,entertainment and education.
Seiwa-sai was a huge success.

Some scenes from the school’sculture festival, including thelecture meeting (bottom)

Seiwa Gakuin students help toclean a local tunnel.

as a safe haven and regular disaster drills have helped to ease
the anxieties of people in the local community, and brought theschool and city even closer.

Staff members of JR and Zushi
City, and local people take part inan earthquake drill.
By Haruka Maruyama and Ayaka Miura

Students of Seiwa Gakuin play
taiko Japanese drums in frontof JR Zushi Station as part of atraffic safety campaign inspring 2016.
By Ayaka Miura, Erena Arai, Haruna
Sasaki and Haruka Maruyama

ZUSHI CITY OFFICE PHOTO

Nikkei 2012.2.29

Seiwa Gakuin and Zushi City
work closely together on disasterprevention. In 2012, the No. 2
playground of Seiwa Gakuin
was designated as a wide-area
evacuation site for local people
to prepare for a major earth-

SEIWA GAKUIN PHOTO

By Asuka Kuwano, Yuka Takei andMinori Fujioka

Seiwa Gakuin, Zushi City join hands to prepare for disasters
quake or tsunami.
The playground is five minutes away from the school’s
main entrance, but it is over 40
meters above sea level, and it isan ideal evacuation site.
Since the site can accommodate 3,700 people, it has beenused by a neighboring elementary school and junior highschool, JR Zushi and local people as a safety evacuation area.
Also the roof of the schoolbuilding can accommodate 340people.
The availability of the school

The Zushi Culture Plaza
Hall, which is marking its
10th anniversary, has becomea heart of the community for
Zushi citizens
Seiwa Gakuin students
have received awards for theiractivities, including working
to build a sense of community, brass band performancesand performances of taiko
Japa nese d r ums by t heschool’s kindergarteners.
Fu r t her more, Seiwa
Gakuin students participate
in activities to keep the city
tidy, organize “fair trade”
events, clean the Hisagi tunnel and promote volunteeringin Zushi society.

SEIWA GAKUIN PHOTO

votes was declared the “ChampBook.” This year’s theme wasKenji Miyazawa’s works.
In July 2015, the Biblio Battlecompetition for the entire Kanto
tournament was held and a junior high school third-grader,
took second place.
The students also set up, arhythmic sports gymnastic clubas an addition to the school’s
many other athletic clubs, aswell as a “Biblio Battle” club.
The “Biblio Battle” involved
mind games that were to support
local people in Kumamoto, who
are still suffering from the effects of a major earthquake.
On the second day of the festival, Seiwa Gakuin invited Ryoji Kuniwake to give a special
lecture, titled “Link your favorite things to ‘dreams of 22-yearolds.’ ” Kuniwake, a director ofBIP Inc., is a member of theSEIWA GAKUIN PHOTO

Seiwa-Sai, Seiwa Gakuin’sschool festival, is held every
June under the sponsorship of
the student council and the Seiwa-Sai executive committee.
This year, it was held June 18and 19, with the heme “Let us
make our flowers bloom. Radiant, dazzling flowers.”
Selected students designed
the brochure, posters and thearch at the main entrance.
Members of the ESS (EnglishSpeaking Society) club produced a music video and gave
presentations on their favorite
things (titled “My Favorite”) in
English through slide shows.
The brass band club, the chorus club and the acting club showcased their talents. There was a“battle of the books,” during
which members of the Japaneseclub introduced their favoritebooks. The one that got the mostSEIWA GAKUIN PHOTO

Members of the ESS club make a presentation, using a short music video,
at the school festival.

Zushi, Seiwa
Gakuin now

SEIWA GAKUIN TIMESCreated by ESS members of Seiwa Gakuin
Junior and Senior High School. A private
girls’ high school in Zushi City, Kanagawa
Prefecture,in cooperation with GEIC andthe Japan Times, Ltd.
Publisher : Seiwa Gakuin Junior & SeniorHigh School
Project Coordinator: Junji Sakurai (GEIC)
Staff Writers :Erena Arai, Konomi Fujigaya,
Rena Fujikawa, Minori Fujioka,
Asuka Kuwano, Yuka Matsumoto,
Haruka Maruyama, Ayaka Miura,
Sara Minomo, Kaai Nonami. Yumi Ofuji,
Haruna Sasaki ,Yuka Takei,
Wakana Takeda, NikoTakehara,
Danielle Zamora, (in alphabetical order)
Contact : 2-2-1, Hisagi, Zushi City,
Kanagawa Prefecture,Japan〒 249-0001
Web: http://www.seiwagakuin.ed.jp/